Love Sucks
by stelena-forever-and-always
Summary: Stefan takes his new vampire girlfriend, Caroline Forbes, to Mystic Falls so that she can get to know where he grew up and to finish her senior year.When Stefan bumps into Katherine's look-alike and starts feeling things, Caroline isn't too happy. Little does she know that Stefan is hiding secrets and that Mystic Falls has a few more surprises up its ason 1 Rewrite. S/E
1. The First Day

**Hey guys! I know its been a while since my last SE fanfiction, but I just haven't had that much inspiration. But I'm back now! This story will kind of be like a mini rewrite of the first season. In this version, Caroline is a new vampire that was turned by Stefan (who she is also dating.) They go to Mystic Falls and...well, you'll see.**

"Really Stefan?" Caroline asked dubiously as they drove past the _Welcome to Mystic Falls _sign. "You pulled me out of Chicago to take me to some small backwater town in Virginia with only five hundred people in it? Why couldn't we have gone to New York or New Orleans or even LA? Or even better, Vegas!"  
>Stefan sighed. When he decided to bring Caroline to Mystic Falls, he knew that she wasn't going to be crazy about the idea. After all, she was used to the big city. But because he loved her, he wanted her to see the place where he grew up as a human. He also felt guilty that her vampire transformation didn't let her finish her senior year.<br>_That's not the only reason you wanted to come back,_ his mind said.  
>He also decided to come back to see his brother again.<br>_That's not it...  
><em>"This is where I lived as a human, Caroline," Stefan explained. "I want to start a new, normal life here. With you," he added, taking her hand in his. "Plus, I feel bad that you didn't get to finish your senior year. Here, you'll be able to go to dances, graduate, join clubs-"  
>"Go to Prom?" she asked.<br>"Of course," he replied. "While you do that, I'll be able to spend time with my brother."  
>"You're not going to high school with me? You have to! It won't be the same without you. Please go. If not for yourself, then for me."<br>He groaned. He loved Caroline, but she was so stubborn sometimes. Going back to high school was _definitely _not on his To-Do List. But if that's what would make her happy...  
>"Fine. For you."<br>She squealed in her seat and smiled in glee as they pulled up into the Boarding House.  
>Stefan and Caroline got out of the red Porsche and walked down the path that led to the front door. He was excited, but nervous. He hadn't seen Damon in fifteen years.<br>"You can do it, Stefan," Caroline said encouragingly; putting a supportive hand on his shoulder.  
>He rang the bell.<br>The door quickly swung open in front of him and there stood his older brother.  
>"Damon," Stefan whispered.<br>"Stefan. Long time no see," Damon replied.  
>Stefan didn't know what he thought Damon would do, but he sure as hell didn't think that he would smile and pull him into a hug.<br>"It's good seeing you again, baby brother."  
>Stefan smiled. "You too."<br>They pulled away when Caroline cleared her throat behind them. Both Salvatores turned around and she gave them a small wave.  
>"Damon," Stefan began. "This is my girlfriend, Caroline."<br>"Hey," she continued. "Caroline Forbes; teenage runaway, high school senior, and a newbie vampire. Originally from Seattle, but am now exploring the US with my hot new vampire boyfriend. We actually just came here from Chicago."  
>"Pleasure meeting you," Damon responded casually as if Caroline hadn't just given him the rushed version of her life story. "So what are we waiting for? Let's head inside, pop open a bottle of bourbon and have a good time."<br>"Sounds good to me!" she said before they all headed inside.

* * *

><p><em>Screams filled the night.<br>He dropped the bunny he was feeding off of and listened closely as the screams died away. He didn't need to see where they were coming from. He quickly ran to the site and worried that he was too late.  
>He went in anyways.<br>A regular human wouldn't have been able to see properly, but then again, he wasn't human. He went towards them and saw terrified eyes stare back at him before everything crashed all around him._

Stefan woke up to a blaring alarm clock and someone slapping his arm.  
>He opened his eyes and found a certain blonde vampire staring right at him. "What?" he said lazily.<br>"You need to get ready for our first day of school. Remember, you promised!"  
>He shoved his face deeper into the pillow in response.<br>Caroline hit him with a pillow. "Stefan Salvatore, listen to your girlfriend and get out of this bed before she gets really angry."  
>His eyes opened wide. Caroline wasn't the greatest person to be around when she was angry. He quickly sat up and got out of bed.<p>

He walked down the crowded hallway right after he compelled the school secretary.  
>Really? This was what high school was like in the twenty-first century? <em>This <em>was what Caroline was so desperate for him to come to? He supposed that it was partially his own doing after insisting that she finish her senior year. Stefan sighed as he continued looking for his new locker. How did anyone even find their lockers? They all looked the same: tall and red. He had locker _146.  
>120,121,122...<em>he had to be close. He kept staring at the tiny locker numbers when a body collided into his.  
>"Oh, pardon me-" he began, looking at-<br>Wait.  
>Katherine?<br>He took a better look at her. No, this wasn't Katherine. Katherine had a devious look imprinted on her face at all times but this girl in front of him didn't. She had a look of compassion in her eyes.  
>Her brown eyes stared at him as he fumbled around his mind for words. "Is...is this the men's room?"<br>"Yeah, I was just...um...it's a long story," she replied, her voice filling his ears. She sounded like Katherine Pierce and she looked like Katherine Pierce. But he could tell that it wasn't her.  
>How was it possible that these two looked exactly alike?<br>He shook away the thought and took a step to the right to let her walk by. But, she had the same impulse and they both stepped the same way. Then they both stepped the other way.  
>Finally, Stefan let her walk by.<br>"Thanks," she said, giving him a glimpse of her smile.  
>As she walked ahead of him, he turned around, hoping to catch another look.<br>Finally, she looked back at him for the sliver of a second before finally turning the corner.

Elena's thoughts raced through her mind. Who _was _he? Why did he seem different? What made him unlike any other guy she knew?  
>His eyes were so green...<br>She shook the comments and questions away as she made her way to English class.

* * *

><p>Later that day, he sat in history class, listening to the teacher (Mr. Tanner ) go on about Confederation.<br>He looked at the girl he had bumped into earlier and happened to catch her eye right when she was looking at him. They briefly smiled at each other before she looked back at the board.  
>She was beautiful; just like Katherine had been. He wished that he could keep staring into her chocolate brown eyes for the rest of the class instead of listening to a lesson of a time that Stefan had actually lived through.<br>He managed to not look at her too often, but he still snuck in a few peeks while Mr. Tanner was turned around. They exchanged eye contact two more times before the bell rang and he sprang out of his seat, glad to be able to go home.  
>He managed to see her smile at the text her friend sent her.<p>

Caroline waited for everyone to file out of the room before she left herself. She followed two girls out of the class.  
>Yes, that was the one Stefan was staring at. She was staring at him too.<br>Caroline managed to hear their conversation.  
>"He was <em>staring <em>at you, Elena," the girl-_Elena's_-friend said.  
>"Maybe because I was staring at him too, Bonnie. It doesn't mean anything," Elena answered.<br>"Whatever you say. All I'm saying is that he's cute. And how many guys do you know with green eyes?"  
>Caroline walked away then. Soon, she would have to let this Elena girl know who she could and couldn't have. She needed to understand that Stefan was <em>off-limits.<em>

**I hope you liked this first chapter even though it wasn't much. Please review to let me know if I should continue with this. Thank you! :)  
><strong>


	2. Night of the Comet

**Hello again! Looks like you guys liked this story enough to want another chapter so here it is! Thanks to everyone that read and/or reviewed! This one's for you :D****  
><strong>

Stefan's eyes snapped open. He sat up and looked out the window at the beautiful sunny day that awaited him. He rubbed his eyes and got out of bed to write in his journal.  
>He always found comfort in writing in a journal. He liked being able to reveal his thoughts and deepest feelings to a small leather book that only he could see. And today's entry was no different.<br>"Wake up, sleepyhead!" he heard Caroline shout before she opened the door and popped her head in. "You're already awake? What motivated you?"  
>He set down the pen after writing a final wordthen stood up and kissed Caroline's cheek. "You did," he replied.<br>She smiled. "You really know how to brighten up a morning don't you?"  
>He smiled back at her.<br>"Seriously, what has you in such a good mood?"  
>"I already told you. It's you, Caroline."<br>_Only partially, _his mind corrected. _The real reason is-_  
>"You better go get ready before we're late," Stefan insisted.<br>"Sounds like something I would be saying to you." She shrugged. "Oh well. Be ready in ten!" She touched his shoulder gently before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.  
>He was ready in five minutes and managed to swallow down some food. They were on the road only seven minutes later.<br>The whole time he drove, the words he had written this morning echoed in his mind.  
><em>I will see her again.<em>

_I will see him again, _Elena thought before she walked into history class.  
>The class went on as usual: Mr. Tanner giving a lecture that not many people really cared about, Bonnie was doodling in her notebook, and Elena played with her pencil. As Mr. Tanner went on and on about the comet flying over Mystic Falls tomorrow, she snuck a few glances at Stefan.<br>He glanced back.  
>They smiled at each other and that was how she stopped paying attention to her surroundings.<br>"Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore? Miss Gilbert?" Mr. Tanner said.  
>She immediately looked away from Stefan and felt so embarrassed that her history teacher caught her staring at the guy she was starting to really like.<br>She shook her head right before she was saved by the bell.

Caroline glared at Elena as she walked away. How _dare _she stare at Stefan and then get called out on it. As if it weren't bad enough yesterday.  
>Caroline crossed her arms. She needed to make it obvious that she wasn't someone to mess with.<p>

* * *

><p>Stefan went to her house that night.<br>He knew he shouldn't have even _thought _about visiting her, but then again, he hadn't been paying much attention to his mind lately; no matter how hard it tried to make him do the right thing.  
>He walked up steps and stood on the doormat in front of the heavy oak door. He contemplated his choices. He could either a) leave now before it was too late, b) just never speak to Elena ever again, or c) knock on the door.<br>He chose C.  
>The door swung open in front of him in a matter of seconds. In front of him stood a young woman with strawberry blonde hair; probably not <em>too <em>many years older than Elena.  
>"Who are you?" the woman asked, taking in an analysis of him.<br>"I'm Stefan. I'm here to see Elena," he explained.  
>She looked him over once more before heading into the house.<br>"Elena!" he heard her call. "A guy's at the door!"  
>Then he saw her.<br>She slowly came down the stairs and eyed the door. She smiled when she saw him. "Hey," she said.  
>"Hey," he replied.<br>"Well, I see you've met my aunt Jenna. What are you doing here?"  
>Wait a minute. Why<em> was<em> he here?  
><em>Oh, come on,<em> his mind said. _You know why you're here._  
>"I was wondering if you had the history notes," he replied.<br>_Liar...  
><em>"Oh, yeah, I do. Would you like to come in?" she asked.  
>He took a sharp intake of breath. "Yes."<br>She smiled and walked back in the house.  
>Slowly and carefully, he put one foot over the threshold and followed her into the living room.<p>

* * *

><p>Throughout history class the next morning, all Elena could think about was Stefan.<br>He had come to her house yesterday night for history notes and as he copied them down, things became...emotional.

_"So," Stefan began as he copied down the notes. "Did something happen to your parents?"  
>She became defensive. "Why would you think that?"<br>"Because you only live with your aunt and your brother. What happened?"  
>"It's a long story."<br>He shrugged. "I don't have anywhere to be. Tell me. If you're comfortable with doing it of course."  
>She thought for a moment. <em>Was _she comfortable telling him? Sure, she was a little interested in him, but she met him yesterday.  
>Taking a deep breath, she told him.<br>She told him about she dodged family game night just to go to a stupid bonfire where she fought with Matt, her boyfriend at the time. After the fight, she had called her parents to come and pick her up. They had come and as they were going home, they crossed over Wickery Bridge. Her father had swerved to avoid hitting something that she never saw and they ended up underwater. She had been the only one that survived (miraculously, she added) and how she felt guilty ever since.  
>Throughout the whole story, Stefan listened intently. He never once stopped her or interrupted her. He was quiet. So quiet that she became so enveloped in the story that her emotions began escaping and she started crying until she finished.<br>When she finished, tears were rolling down her cheeks and she was having trouble breathing. It was only then that she remembered that Stefan was there and became embarrassed.  
>She didn't know what she expected him to do, but she didn't expect him to say her name in a way that melted her bones.<br>"Elena..." he had whispered, looking at her with his leaf green eyes. He was no longer copying the notes. His eyes were full of sadness as he held out his arms.  
>Her body took charge before her mind could and she found herself in his arms. It had felt so <em>good _there; enveloped in his arms. He worked as her pocket of warmth.  
>"God, I'm a wreck," she whispered against his shoulder.<br>"Shh," he commanded. "It's okay to let out your feelings. It's okay to cry."  
>That made her cry even more.<br>He kept whispering things in her ear; things that promised that everything would be okay. He even stroked her hair with a light touch until she calmed down.  
>When she was done letting it all out, she was so happy when he changed the subject. For the rest of the time, he made her laugh and smile in a way that hardly anyone could do these days. They just talked.<br>And they never stopped talking; not even when the black night sky turned into blue as dawn broke._

Elena still couldn't believe that they had talked for the whole night.

Caroline caught up with Stefan just as the school day ended.  
>"Where the hell were you last night?" she asked angrily. "And why have you been avoiding me all day?"<br>She saw him hesitate. What was he hiding from her?!  
>"I was out hunting," he said.<br>"For the whole night?"  
>"Yeah. And today, I've been catching up on notes."<br>"Notes?" she probed. "It's only the third day of school. how are you already behind?"  
>"I have a lot on my mind."<br>"Really? Okay then, what class did you need notes for?"  
>"History."<br>History. Of _course _he needed to catch up on history notes. "Why? Too busy staring at Elena Gilbert?"  
>He stopped in his tracks. "How do you know her?"<br>"You guys have been gazing at each other in class for the last two days! I had to find out who she was, so I eavesdropped on some conversations and looked at a file."  
>He sighed and faced her. "Don't worry about her, Care. She's not you."<p>

_But you wish she was, _his mind whispered.  
><em>Shut up.<br>Make me.  
><em>"Right. She's not perky or blonde or beautiful," she stated.  
><em>No, she's beautiful too.<br>_"Right...anyways, you have nothing to worry about, Caroline."  
>She closed her eyes in defeat. "Okay. Sorry about accusing you."<br>"It's okay. Come on, let's go home." He put an arm around her shoulders.  
>"Can we go see the comet later?<br>"Sure"

* * *

><p>"Stefan?" Elena called when she was inside. "Stefan?" She clutched his phone tighter and tapped a finger against it. Maybe she could leave it in his room. Wait, she didn't know where that was.<br>Great.  
>"Katherine?" someone asked behind her.<br>She turned around and came face to face with a guy, a few years older than Stefan perhaps, with black hair and ice blue eyes.  
>She looked at him with a confused look. "Sorry, no. I'm Elena."<br>"I'm sorry, you just look like Stefan's ex. She really broke his heart. Anyways, I'm Damon."  
>So this was the infamous Damon. "Stefan's brother, right? He told me about you."<br>"Hopefully nothing too bad."  
>"Not at all."<br>"Good to know," he responded with a smirk. "Not to be rude, but why are you here exactly? Are you here to see Caroline?"  
>"No," Elena replied. She didn't even know who Caroline was. "I'm just here to bring back his phone. He left at my house."<br>"Well, I'd be happy to give it back to him...Elena."  
>"Okay, thanks." She smiled and gave him the phone. "I better go. Nice meeting you, Damon."<br>"You too."

"Elena was here," Damon said.  
>Stefan walked into his room and found his older brother lounging on his bed. "She was?"<br>"Yup. Here to return this." He held up Stefan's phone. "You know, she looked extremely familiar. She looked like...what was her name again? Katie? Kathy?" He snapped. "Katherine!"  
>"Yeah, I know."<br>"Are you two..."  
>"No."<br>"Right, because of Blondie." He got up from the bed. "Good luck with that!"

* * *

><p>"I met Damon today," Elena said.<br>"Yeah, he told me," Stefan replied. "He's...complicated."  
>"He mentioned someone," she said, turning around to look at him. "Katherine? Your ex?"<br>"What did he say?" he asked.  
>"That she broke your heart."<br>"Look, Elena, that was a long time ago."  
>"No, it's okay. I get it. I know what it's like. Complicated brother? Check. Complicated ex? Check. Too complicated to even contemplate dating? Double check. It's okay. I mean, we met, and we talked, and it was epic. But then the sun came up and reality set in."<br>She licked her lips. She hadn't wanted to say it, but she had. Stefan had a too complicated past for her and an ex that had already broken his heart.  
>"Bye, Stefan," she whispered before she walked away.<p>

He was tapped on the shoulder a few minutes later. He turned around and found Caroline.  
>"I've already made a bunch of friends and...Stefan, you okay? You look upset."<br>"I'm okay, Care. Tell me more about your new friends."  
>"Well, okay. So, there's this one girl named-"<br>He pretended to listen, nodding his head every now and then. The fact that Elena had walked away from him hurt him more than it should have.

* * *

><p>When he and Caroline got home, she immediately got a phone call and left to go for dinner with one of her newfound friends. So, Stefan was left in the big Boarding House alone with the exception of Damon who was most likely drinking bourbon in his room.<br>Which was why he was surprised when someone rang the door bell. He went to open the door and was even more surprised when he saw who it was.  
>"Hey," Elena said.<br>He just stared at her for a while, making sure that she was actually there. "Would like to come in?"  
>"The comet's actually that way," she explained, pointing outside. She headed out to the small stone wall that bordered the entrance and he followed her.<br>"Sorry for barging in like this. Especially after earlier."  
>"It's okay. Where we left things...I didn't like it."<br>"Me neither. When I went home tonight, I was planning on doing what I usually do: writing in my diary. Which I have been since I was a little girl. Everything I'm feeling just goes down into this little book that hides on the second shelf of my closet behind this hideous ceramic mermaid. But tonight, I realized that I was just writing things that I should've been telling you."  
>"What would you write?"<br>"I would write, 'Dear Diary. Today, I convinced myself that it's okay to give up. Don't take risks, stick to the status quo, no drama cause now is just _not _the time. But my reasons aren't reasons, they're excuses. All I'm doing is hiding fromt he truth and the truth is...' I'm scared, Stefan. I'm scared that if I even let myself be happy for one moment, the world's going to come crashing down on me and I don't know if I can survive that."  
>"Do you know what I would write?"<br>When she nodded, he regretted what he said. What was he saying? He just met this girl...he couldn't be caring for her.  
>Could he?<br>"I met a girl," he began, forgetting all about his vampirism and about Caroline, who would not be happy if she knew about this moment. "And we talked. It was epic. Then the sun came up, and reality set in," he whispered, repeating her words from earlier. "Well this is reality. Right here."  
>She looked up at him with her eyes that were always full of sorrow. Yet for a single second, he could see something glowing behind them.<br>Slowly and hesitantly, he leaned in closer to her and they connected. Sparks flew. Elena was practically igniting fires in him that he hadn't known existed.  
>He pulled away from her and stared at her in amazement. How was it that this girl could make him feel things that Caroline and not even Katherine ever made him feel? How was it that this innocent human girl with a tragic past could warm up his old vampire heart like no other supernatural creature could?<br>They looked at each other in awe before interlocking lips once more.

Damon watched the couple from his window. He thought it was great that Stefan had moved on from Katherine to Caroline, but going from Caroline to Elena was something entirely different. He didn't know if he could keep the secret from Caroline. He hoped he could, because if he couldn't, then he worried that Elena would be put in danger  
>A lot of danger.<p> 


	3. Listen To Your Warnings

**Hi again! Looks like some of you are really into this story, so here's chapter 3!**

_Water surrounded the car at all sides and it didn't take long for the interior to fill up with water as well.  
>She took quick pants and attempted to take her seatbelt off, but it was no use. It wouldn't budge. She was going to die here; here in the ice cold water of Wickery Lake. Her fate was sealed. <em>All _their fates were sealed.  
>Her father turned around and took her hand in his as the water rose all around them. She mouthed a final, "I love you," before taking a deep breath. Soon, it wasn't possible to breath at all. She was engulfed by water.<br>She felt her hand drift away from her father's. She closed her eyes and felt herself go limp as something else fell into the water outside of the car._

Elena woke up and thrashed around before she realized that she was in bed and not submerged in her dad's car. She ran her mind through yesterday's events to clear her head. She had had coffee and eggs for breakfast, went to school, got in trouble in history, the comet flew by...  
>She kissed Stefan.<br>She smiled at the thought. She _kissed _Stefan Salvatore, the new mysterious guy she never thought would give her a second thought.  
>That morning, she went to school refreshed, glowing with the fact that she would see Stefan today.<p>

_Darkness surrounded him. There were a few rocks and plants, but that was it, with the exceptions of the large metal object. He went towards it and saw movement. Good, at least one of them was still alive. He went closer..._

Stefan's eyes opened. He wondered how much longer he would have to relive that night. Well, that was the least of his concerns right now.  
>He <em>kissed <em>Elena. He kissed the most compassionate girl he had ever met (which was ironic considering that she looked exactly like Katherine). Did he care for her in _that _way?  
><em>Yes, <em>his mind whispered. _You do.  
><em>No. He couldn't. He was a vampire, she was a human. She would want children, he wouldn't be able to give her that. Plus, he already _had _a girlfriend-  
>Wait a minute. He had a girlfriend. He had Caroline. Oh boy, she would <em>not <em>be happy if she knew.  
>Which she wouldn't. He wouldn't tell her and she never talked to Elena and no one else saw the kiss. It would be impossible for her to find out.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hey, Damon," Caroline said when she came into the kitchen. She grabbed a cup of coffee off of the table.<br>"Hey...Caroline," Damon replied carefully.  
>She glared at him. "What are you hiding?"<br>"Nothing!"  
>"Damon, I'm a runaway. I've had people lie to me about not finding my parents, not calling the cops, letting me stay for longer than a week and everything else you can fit under those umbrellas. I can tell when someone's lying to me and right now, that's what you're doing. So spill."<br>She could see the hesitation in his eyes. "It...it's about Stefan."  
>That made her even more interested. "What <em>about <em>Stefan?"  
>He sighed deeply. "Last night, right after you left, a girl came over."<br>"And how did this girl look like?"  
>"Long, straight brown hair. Olive skin. Not too tall-"<br>Elena Gilbert. What the hell was she doing here? "I know her. Go on."  
>"They talked outside for a while and then they...uh...they kissed."<br>She smashed the cup she was holding and let the pieces fall onto the floor. How _dare _she! Who did Elena freaking Gilbert think she was?  
>"Excuse me," Caroline said.<br>"Wait," Damon said before she left the kitchen. "Don't tell Stefan that I told you. Please."  
>"Don't worry. Stefan's not the biggest priority on my To-Do list yet. First, I need to have a few words with a certain brunette."<p>

Elena shut her locker and jumped when she saw Stefan standing right behind the small metal door.  
>"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized.<br>She felt a grin go on her face. "Don't worry about it," she responded; happier than she had ever been in a long time. She leaned in closer and brushed her lips against his. She added more pressure and put a hand on his cheek. Slowly, he added more pressure of his own and put a hand over hers.

He hadn't felt this way since Katherine, and that hadn't even been real feelings. Yet, there was something in the back of Stefan's mind that was pestering him. It was something important, something he had to tell Elena. In his mind he saw a blonde girl with a happy smile, only to have her immediately be replaced by a brunette with olive skin and brown eyes that just glowed...  
>Caroline. He had to tell Elena about Caroline.<br>Just as he was about to pull away and tell the girl in front of him the truth, the bell rang and Elena pulled away.  
>"Sucks that we can't continue this. We'll talk later?"<br>He felt himself nod before he could stop himself.

Caroline tapped her pencil against the wooden desk; bored out of her mind in this Geography class. She was bored that she thought about earlier, remembering what had happened in the hallway. She had glared as the two of them PDA'd in the hallway. In front of everyone. God, this wasn't some cliché TV show where you could just make out with someone in public without anyone thinking it was weird.  
>She looked out of the small window on the wooden door that would (in twenty minutes) provide an escape from this class and into the crowded hallways.<br>She saw Elena walk by and shot up her hand.  
>"Yes, Miss Forbes?" the Mr. Hartman, the geography teacher, asked.<br>"Can I go to the bathroom."  
>He sighed. "Very well."<br>Caroline got up out of her seat and left the room before following Elena down the hall to the bathroom.  
>"Elena Gilbert, right?" she asked innocently.<br>The other girl turned around. "Yes?"  
>"Hey! I'm Caroline Forbes, I'm new here. I think you've met my boyfriend already, actually, now that I think about it."<br>"Really?" Elena replied. "What's his name?"  
>"Stefan Salvatore," she sneered in response.<br>_That _took Elena by surprise.  
>"He's your <em>boyfriend?<em>"  
>"Yup. Has been for a few months now. I thought he would've told you by now. After all, I've seen you guys getting pretty friendly with each other, particularly in history class. Ask him if you don't believe me."<br>"Maybe I will."  
>"Go ahead. We all know what the answer will be." <em>Yes, <em>Caroline mouthed. "Well, it was so nice to meet you. Toodles."  
>She turned around without waiting for an answer and walked back to class.<p>

* * *

><p>After school, Elena met up with Stefan at his Porsche. She decided to go straight to the point and wasted no time with formalities.<br>"Do you know a girl named Caroline Forbes?"  
>He stiffened at the name. "Yes..."<br>"Is she your girlfriend?"  
>He hesitated and sighed deeply. "No."<br>Elena sighed in return. "Thank God. I was a bit worried about that. But why did she lie about it?"  
>"She's just a friend that kind of feels something for me, but that's it. She probably told you because she's worried that you'll get in the way of us being together."<br>"Do you feel something for her?"  
>He kissed her. Just like that. It was deep and it was passionate and it was unlike anything she ever felt. This felt good. This felt <em>right.<em>  
>"Did that answer your question?"<p>

A knock came on the door that night.  
>Elena went to the door and opened it, expecting it to be Stefan.<br>Only to find Caroline.  
>"How did you know where I lived?" Elena inquired.<br>"This is a small town, Elena, so don't worry about the details. Did you ask Stefan?"  
>Elena crossed her arms. "Yes, yes I did. He told me the truth."<br>"Did he? And what was that?"  
>"That you're just a friend that feels something for him and was worried about me getting in the way."<br>Caroline scoffed. "_Me? _Threatened by _you? _Honey, I'm not worried about you getting in my way. Seriously, look at you and look at me. Huge difference. Plus, the blonde always wins. He _lied _to you. I'm his girlfriend and I'm his _only _girlfriend. Just wait, you'll be out of his life soon enough."  
>"Is that a threat?"<br>"Actually, no, it isn't. It's a warning. Watch your back, Elena," Caroline said before she went down the steps and disappeared into the night.


	4. Danger Arising

**Enjoy!**

Stefan went over to his bookshelf. He picked up an extra copy of _The Grapes of Wrath,_ which he had hollowed out to hide things from intruders and by intruders, he meant Damon. Opening the book, he went past a pocket watch, an undeveloped film roll, a grainy black-and-white photo of Katherine...  
>Katherine.<br>He still remembered the day she arrived at his father's estate; still remembered the clicking of the horse's feet on the gravel, the sound of the reins against the carriage's exterior, Katherine's skirts swirling around her as she stepped out into the day's sun; her beauty more radiating than its glow...  
><em>No. <em>He didn't love her; not anymore. Katherine's doppelganger, Elena, was already starting to replace her lingering specter in his heart.  
><em>Then why do you still have her picture? <em>his mind probed.  
>Stefan set the picture down on a pile of books. He would decide its fate later on. He went back to <em>The Grapes of Wrath <em>and pulled out the wooden box he was originally searching for.  
>He had never shown the necklace to anyone. Not Caroline and definitely not Katherine since he acquired it after her death. Okay, maybe he had shown Lexi, but that was it. He had wanted to save it for someone special.<br>Stefan then went downstairs to the basement and into the vervain cell. He put on an old glove that was lying around and plucked a tuft of vervain from the small garden box. He put it in the locket and snapped it shut.  
>The vervain was for Elena. It would protect her. Protect her from Damon and from Caroline.<br>From him too.  
>He hoped that she would never need to use it.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Is that a threat?"<br>"Actually, no, it isn't. It's a warning. Watch your back, Elena."  
><em>What had Caroline meant by that? What was she planning? _Was _she planning something?  
>Elena's mind ran through this a dozen times over.<br>Then she saw him.  
>There he was, sitting at one of the empty lunch tables bathed in sunlight; his green eyes glowing as he smiled at her from his spot.<br>"Hey," she said.  
>"Hey."<br>A pause.  
>He stood up and went to her. "I hope you don't think this is too weird, but I wanted you to have this."<br>She looked down at his hands and saw him holding a wooden box. He unsnapped the lid and revealed a silver locket with a red gem at its apex.  
>"It's beautiful!" she complimented.<br>"I've had for a long time, but I've never wanted to give it to anyone until now."  
>She blushed. "Can you put it on me?"<br>"Of course."  
>She turned around and lifted up her hair as he set the locket around her neck and shut the clasp.<br>"Do you like it?"  
>She turned around. "I love it," Elena whispered before connecting her lips to his.<br>He pulled her closer.  
>She gave a surprised moan against his mouth before she opened up hers; inviting him in, getting caught in the moment. His hands pressed her back harder and her hands dug through his hair.<br>The bell rang behind them but they didn't bother stopping.

Elena was a fan of PDA. Great.  
>Caroline rolled her eyes as she watched the couple cling to each other way after the final warning bell. She had hoped that her words would've beaten some sense into Elena.<br>Boy, was she wrong.  
>She was practically brain washing him, making him believe that he loved her and not Caroline. Making him think brunettes were better blondes.<br>It wasn't Stefan's fault. None of it was. He was only guilty of meeting her and falling under her spell. Now, it was up to Caroline to cure him of it. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to resort to her advantage, but Elena had left her with no other choice. If Elena wanted a dirty fight, than boy was she going to get one.

* * *

><p>Elena got out of her car and slammed the door behind her when she got home.<br>"Jenna! Jeremy!" Elena called before she felt her phone vibrate.  
><em>Sent from: Jenna<br>Went to campus for a bit. Jeremy's out with friends and shouldn't be home for a while. I ordered a pizza before I left and it should be there soon. Money's on the coffee table. No boys!  
><em>The doorbell rang.  
>Elena grabbed the money and ran to the door, expecting the pizza guy.<br>And finding Caroline.  
>"I thought I told you to stay away from him," she said.<br>"I'm not staying away from him because you asked me to, Caroline."  
>"For a second, I thought you were actually smart, Elena. But I was wrong. You're an idiot. An idiot who can't seem to realize what she can and can't have."<br>"And you're a bitch that doesn't deal very well with jealousy."

That made Caroline crack. If the fact she hadn't been invited inside wasn't standing in the way, she would've pulled Elena by the hair and dragged her around the house until her scalp bled.  
>Sadly, she wasn't invited in.<br>She couldn't do her work while Elena was in the house; she had to be lured out.  
>"At least I can admit it," Caroline responded. "Why don't you come out here and insult me for real? Because you seem a bit like a coward standing in your house."<br>"Fine."  
>She slowly put one foot over the threshold.<br>_Yes, Elena. Just one more step...  
><em>"There, I'm out. Happy?"  
>"Extremely," Caroline sneered. She felt veins appear by her eyes and felt her fangs grow.<br>Elena's shocked eyes were the last thing she saw before she went to her neck.  
>The other girl's screams rang in the autumn air and it wasn't long before her form went limp. She would live. For now.<p>

* * *

><p>Elena opened her eyes slowly.<br>She found herself in a dimly lit room with machines going off at her side and tubes going down her arm.  
>"What am I doing here?"<br>"Don't worry about it, Elena," Caroline said.  
>"You! What...what the hell did you do to me?"<br>"Nothing you won't recover from."  
>"What are you?" Elena demanded.<br>Caroline crept closer. "Don't worry about it," she said, looking into Elena's eyes. "You'll forget this happened and just think you were attacked by an animal."  
>"No I won't!" she replied. "How could I forget about this? You put me in the hospital!"<p>

Wait a second.  
>Why didn't the compulsion work? Maybe she did it wrong.<br>Caroline refocused her gaze. "No. You _will _forget."  
>"No, I won't!"<br>She was immune to compulsion. Interesting. Well, Caroline supposed it was time for one final trick.  
>"Fine then. Remember what I am. Remember what I can do. Remember that I'm why you're here. But also remember that Stefan is the same. He can do this to you. He can do this to others. Hell, maybe he has. He is <em>perfectly capable <em>of doing this to you; except he can do much worse."  
>"What? He can?"<br>"Yes, Elena. I know that because he's the one that made me this. What I am."  
>"Which is what?" Elena asked.<br>Caroline's face turned serious. "A vampire."

**This chapter was a little shorter, but I hope you liked it anyways! And sorry for taking too long to update.**


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